France Sets Record with 22 Three-Pointers in World Cup Victory
France didn’t just win. They detonated from deep.
In a group-stage finale that turned into a long-range masterclass, the French national team buried a staggering 22 three-pointers against Nigeria, setting a new Women's FIBA World Cup record and rewriting the perimeter-shooting standards of the tournament.
They let it fly 40 times from beyond the arc and hit 55% of them. Twenty-two makes. Each one felt like a hammer blow.
By halftime, the scoreboard told the story of a mismatch and a massacre from distance: France 65 points, 14 three-pointers. The contest was effectively over, but the shooting show had only reached intermission.
Japan’s record erased in three days
Just three days earlier, Japan had raised eyebrows by hitting 20 threes against Mali, a performance that looked set to stand as the benchmark for this World Cup.
France treated it like a starting point.
They surged past that total with time to spare, stretching the record into new territory in a 111-56 victory that was done and dusted well before the final buzzer. By the break, with 65 on the board and those 14 threes already sunk, the result felt inevitable. The only question left was how high the number would climb.
The answer came from all over the floor.
France finished with five players in double figures and piled up 29 assists, the ball zipping from hand to hand, corner to wing, wing to top, until a shooter rose and another three splashed through. It wasn’t just hot shooting. It was offensive orchestration at high speed.
Williams and Johannes light the fuse
Two names drove the explosion.
Gabby Williams was relentless, finishing with 25 points and setting the tone early, attacking, spacing, and punishing every defensive lapse. Alongside her, Marine Johannes turned the arc into her personal stage, drilling five three-pointers and stretching Nigeria’s defense past breaking point.
The Golden State Valkyries guard-forward added her own fireworks from deep, going six of eight from three and joining the long-range onslaught that Nigeria simply couldn’t slow.
Williams and Johannes combined for eight three-pointers in the first half alone, their rhythm contagious. Every make seemed to free the next shooter. Every possession carried the threat of another dagger from distance.
The 21st, the 22nd… and a surprise
As the second half rolled on and the lead ballooned, France kept shooting with the same freedom and confidence. There was no chasing numbers, no visible tension around the record. Just a team in full flow.
With 5:45 still to play, Migna Touré rose and buried the 21st three-pointer, nudging France past Japan’s short-lived mark. A little later, Dominique Malonga dropped the 22nd, the shot that pushed the performance into “historic” territory.
Only afterward did the twist emerge: Touré admitted she had no idea the team was even closing in on a record. They weren’t hunting history. They were just playing their game — and their game, on this night, was devastating.
France walked off with a 111-56 win, five players in double figures, 29 assists, and a perimeter stat line that will sit in the record books.
The rest of the tournament has been put on notice: if France shoot like this again, who can live with them?
